Fastener.



A. E. ENGLAND.

PASTENBR.

APPLIUATION FILED M1131, 1910.

988,558. Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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A UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.f

ARTHUR E. ENLAND, oEBoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS, AssrGNoR T o FRED S, CARR, or

RRooKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND EDWARD s. EosTER, or wvINcHESTER, MASSA- CH'USETTS.'

, FASTENER.

(Patented Apr. 4,' 1911.

To all whom it may concern: l Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. ENGLAND,

. a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new fand Y useful Improvements inFasteners, of which the following is a specification.`

This invention relates to improvements in fasteners.y More particularly `it is herein illustrated and described as it may be applied to fasteners adapted to hold protective curtains of automobiles, boats, carriages and the like, so that they are secure' against detachment by wind. The invention may however be applied to fasteners for many other purposes.

Among the objects of the invention are to 'provide a fastener which when closed cannot be4 blown loose, or loosened by accident but which requires the exercise of intelli gence to loosenit, and which at the same time may be loosened easily and instantly by one knowing how.

' Other objects are to provide a fastening in which the parts are or may be practically flush with the surface holdingit, a fastening capable of fixing a curtain or strap at sever'a different stages of tension; one which is in- Vexpensive in construction and durable in use; and, without here listing all of the objects and advantages, it-may be said in general that it is the purpose of the invention to provide and of this patent to protect a device having the features of novelty which are incidental to the construction herein sety forth.

Anembodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a face view orplan of apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of Isome of the same parts, showing the parts in operation; Fig. 4 is a plan of a detail, the eyelet; Fig. 5 is a plan of a modification of a detail;y and Fig. 6 is a plan of another modication of the Same detail.

In the drawings, 10 represents a curtain, strap or anything which it is desired to fasten at any place 11. A post having a head 12 is fixed in position by a screw 13 or other suitable means on .the -thin to which the fastening is to be made; an an eyelet plate 14 is fixed firmly on the curtain 10. As

illustrated, the `said eyelet plate is `on the' inner-Iside of the curtain and the curtain itself is imperforate overl the eyeholelas 10', and is covered by `a brass shell `or raised plate 15, which has prongs'16 adapted'to i pass through the curtain and through holes 17 in the margin of they eyelet .plate 14` and be clamped on the inner side thereof, thus holding the plate firm and at the same time protecting the outside of theA curtain 'during handling. The hole in the plate consists. of two portions or eyeholes 20 ,and 21, the former being lar e enough and the latter not large enough I to go through it; and the neck 21 joining the eyeholes is narrower thanthe smaller of the eyeholes. The relative 'aspect ofthese eyeholes is more clearly seen in Fig. 4. The hole 21 is' large enough to receive the ,part 19 of the post which is next `under its head which may be called the bolt part because it corresponds to the boltof a lock.` The opening between holes20 and 21 isnot large or the liead 12 of the post enough for the bolt 19 to pass, but is large enough for passage of theshank part 18 of the post which is next farther away from the head and is smaller than the bolt 19, as.

clearly seen in Figs. 2and 3. The length of the partl 19 measured in the `direction of axis of the post,'may `be not quite Aas great "as the thickness Iof the eyelet piece 14 to permit the easy entrance of the wedgehereinafter described. o i

A ring-like keeper 25 is provided,v fitting looselyon the portion' 18 of the post, the spring 26 pressing it toward the shoulder between portions 19 and 18. The'spring is supported in a cup 24, fastened on the remote end of the post by any suitable means, the means, illustrated being an upsetting or spreading of the ends of the post, as clearly seen in Figs'. 2 and 3, the post being tubular to receive screw 13. The screw holds the post firmly against the bodyl to which the curtain is to be fastened' and 'the cup 24 furnishes a broad base so that the attachmay be countersunk into the surface so that the inner Side of the curtain isvery close to the surface 10, the shoulder between parts 18 and 19 being set 'far enough above that surface to enable the eyelet piece 14 to pass under, it. The keeper is preferably cup-- shaped having flanges 25 which overlap the flanges lof the cup and thus inclo'se the spring. Obviously any other. suitable arrangement may be substituted for the screw. ',Ihe neck 21' between the eyeholes 2O and 21 is too narrow for -the ooit 19 to pass through it, but wide enough to let the shank 18 through.y Means is provided by which the bolt 19 may be slipped from eyehole20` to eyehole 21 by pressure straight toward it, notwithstanding its exceeding'the size of the neck, while, on the contrary, the bolt cannot be put out again by straight pressure or pull,

` but requires special and intelligent nianipiv lation. This is effectedby providing wedgelike inclines 27 on those portions of the plate which form the neck 21 between the eyeholes, these wedges being at the entrance of the neck froineyehole 20 and pointing toward that hole' and toward the under side thereof, as clearly represented in the drawings. `The wedges, however, are -not provided on the side ofthe neck toward' the opening 21;

The operation of the device is as follows:-

To fastenthe device, ,put the eyelet on the post'and pull. This may be done with practically a single motion. The head of the post'passes readily through 'the -hole 20,

and, once through, the pullbrings the points of wedges 27 under vthe shoulder between parts 19 and 18 of the hooks, andas thev pull continues, these wedges or inclines l force theeyelet piece downward so that it follows their lead under the shoulder, incidentally depressing the keeper until the fulll thickness of the eyelet piece has past under the shoulder, the part 18 of the post going throughythe neck 21 of the eyelet..

To facilitate this, the shoulder between parts 19 and 18 maybe formedat an incline so -that a little space intervenes between the `keeper and the lower end of portion 19, in

` which spa-ce points of the wedges naturally ing of the -eyelet piece.

engage for starting the automatic depress Vl/Then. the eyelet piece has been pulled far enough to getits neck past the post, the hole 21 comesv to the post, and as this is large enough "to ad- .mit portion 19, the spring forces the eyelet piece back toward the head of the post, the portion 19 substantially viillingithe hole 2l, as seen in Figs. 2 and 1. The parts are locked in this position by thespring and lkeeper,becausebportion' 19 cannot pass laterally through neck-21f1 Consequently, no amount of blowing by wind, nor any pulling can dislodge a curtain or strap thus fastened." However,'any person desiring to yloosen itrn'ay dose by merely 'depressing the eyelet piece enough to get it below the large-partlQl of the post, and then the Apost portion 18 willreadily slip through the neck 21 and the eyelet may be taken oii '.It will be observed that the portion 15 is 4.not a necessary feature of theinain part of the invention, nor need the strap or curtain be left imperforate at 10, but these are advantagesl thatinaybeobtained incidental tothe other features', obtainable by -`Figs. 5 and G.

which there are a succession of openings 21p esatte let piece ,without in so doing handling the fabric of the curtain Aitselfgbut obviously4 both of these niay be omitted without aiiecting the other features described. rjlhe post is held rigidly and firmly in position by aj single `central screw, and it is, thereforeg" inconspicuous when the curtain is not ati" tached and, by'b-eing countersunk, may sit so close to the surface that it is particularly unobtrusive. The simplicity of the partsrniakes the cost of manufacture and of assembling trilling.

Modifica ions of the eyelet are shown in l ig. 15 `shows anf-eyelet in performing the function of the opening21 of Fig. il, yet each having a neck leading into ,a further opening.

entdegrees of tautness. 6 'shows a fastening in which the portion of theeyeletpiece inclosing the h'ole'20 is dispensed with and the eyelet mere y has the hole 21 with a neck leading to the edge of the plate., to which the inclined planes or wedges 27 may be Iapplied as "before or curtain to b e fastened at its very edge.

Other variations may be madeA from' the precise forni of the apparatus herein shown vand described without denartingfrom the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claiins.v

If the apparatus be used for curtains or' in any location in which there is ldanger of the parts rattling, this may be prevented.

making the `plate 14 enough .thicker than the length of the bolt 19 for the keeper 25 to bear firmly against. it. As represented in Fig. 2. the upward movement of the keeper is limited -by the beveled shoulder between 18" and 19, but' byinaking the plate 14C thicker or by making the central hole through the keeper-largenthe parts 25A and 14 would be in contactV and t-he part 111 l'would be clamped against the head 12 by the spring 26. .lf the hole 21'be yslight-ly larger' than the bolt 19 ythe eyelet plate may lbe disengaged by a singlemovernent of the thumb pressing downward on the casing y,15

about in the direction of the arrow head lead-4y ing to that casing from its'nuineral reference in Fig. 2. Such a depression would push downward the ri eht hand side as seen in the ligure) of the eyelet plate 14C tilting it some` This enables a curtain or strap'to be fixed at several dniier- This enables a strapv I vehicle causing entrance thereto,

ing means,

' into the eyehole,

Atains, the effect of such a what without pushing the left hand side down and in sodoingl would depress the keeper 25 suiiiciently to get the plate 14 under the part 19, in which case the continuance of the pressure would push it along; with the shank 18 passing through neck 21, thus disengaging with a single motion. In somefastenings hitherto proposed, it has been customary to open them by a single pulling motion and when the device is used for fastening cur-4 pull may result from the pressure of the wind Within the the curtains to bulge out- Ward. That result is not possible with the present fastening, because any outward pressure merely drives the plate 14 more firmly against the head y12, maintaining the bolt iii-.locked position.

I claim-` y 1. Afastening comprising the combination of a plate having an eyehole with a relatively narrow edgewise entrance; a post having a head portion too large to go through the eyehole, a bolt portion which may go into the eyehole, but not through the edge shank portion which and a may go through said entrance; the bolt portion being substantially perpendicularto the prllate and adapted `to form a catch engaging t e sisting lateral stresses; and means tending to maintain the bolt portion in this position, there being wedges formed Vin the plate beside said entrance, adapted to engage between the end of the bolt and said maintainthe plate being flat, with the said wedges formed in the thickness thereof, and the bolt heldl by the metal in the thickness ofthe plate on each side of tlie entrance to the eyehole.

2. A fastening comprising the combination ofa plate having an eyehole with a relatively narrow edgewise entrance; a post having a head portion too-large to go through the eyehole, a bolt portion which may go but not through the edge entrance thereto, and a shank portion which may go through said entrance; the bolt por'- tion being substantially perpendicular to the plate and adapted to form a catch engaging the thickness of the plate and positively resisting lateral stresses; there being a keeper adapted to press toward the end of the holt; means limiting the approach of the keeper, whereby an opening is aiforded between the end of the bolt and the keeper; and'wedges formed in the edge ofthe plate beside said entrance adapted to engage between said keeper and the end of the bolt.

the fastening.

thickness of the plate and positively re-` f eyehole.

pieces 3. A fastening comprising the combination of a plate having an eyehole with a relatively narrow edgewise entrance; a post having a head portion too large to go through the eyehole, a bolt portion which may go into the eyehole, but not through the edge entrance thereto, and a shank portion which may go through said entrance; the bolt portion being substantially perpendicular to the plate and adapted to form a catch engaging. the thickness of the plate and positively resisting lateral stresses; means to fasten the post to materiall` a cup mounted thereon and a pring within the cup pushing toward the bo t.

4. A fastening comprisin the combination of a plate having a multip icity of eyeholes connected by intervening necks, a post having a head too large to pass through them, a bolt portion which may go into them, but not through the necks, and a shank portion which may go through said necks; said bolt portion being substantially perpendicular to the plate and adapted to form a catch engaging the thickness of the plate and positively resisting lateral stresses; and means tending to maintain the bolt in this position.

` 5. A fastening comprising a flat plate having an eyehole, a slot leading thereto, and' inclined edges at the entrance of the slot; combined with a post having a shank portion to pass through the slot and a bolt portion too large for that but able t0 enter the eyehole; and means pressing the bolt at right angles to the plate in direction to' enter the eyehole; said inclined edges being adapted to engage and displace the bolt inlopposite direction a distance equal to the thickness the post enters the slot and the bolt being held the plate when in the of the plate when toward the eyehole, by the thickness of 6. A fastening comprising the combination of a plate having an eyehole with a relatively narrow edgewise entrance; a tubular-post having one end expanded forming a headtoo large togo through the eyehole, a bolt which may go into the eyehole, but not through the edge entrance thereto, the shank of the post being of size to go through said entrance; a spring surrounding the post, expansible in the axial direction; and bearing at opposite ends of the spring, `with flanges inclosing the spring.

Signed by me `at Boston, Mass., this 29th 115 day of March, 1910.

ARTHUR E. ENG-LAND.

lVitnesses Evnun'rr E. KENT, JOSEPH T. BRENNAN. 

